The Tails of Truth Podcast:

Fleas, Ticks, Worms & Flies: Oh My

Nobody warned us there's this much ick in tick. Or in fleas, worms, and whatever a screwworm fly actually is...which, for the record, is not a worm.

Dr. Angie Krause and veterinary nurse JoJo recorded this episode of Tails of Truth six weeks before New World Screwworm was confirmed in dogs in the US. They had no idea it would be relevant to domestic animals this soon. In this episode they talk through the parasites they actually see in practice — fleas, ticks, lice, mites, tapeworms, hookworms, roundworms, and heartworm — where they come from and why parasite prevention is never a one-size-fits-all conversation. Location matters. Your pet's lifestyle matters. And apparently so does your personal tolerance for finding a tick in your bangs mid-exam or having lice in your bed.

Dr. Angie is candid about where natural prevention holds up and where it doesn't. JoJo says "ew" more than is strictly necessary. There is a microbiology professor's personal tapeworm story that nobody asked for and everyone will remember.

Key Takeaways

  1. Location determines your prevention strategy. What works in dry, high-altitude Colorado may be completely inadequate on the coasts or in the South where humidity and bug populations are year-round.
  2. New World Screwworm is now confirmed in US dogs. This episode was recorded before it crossed the border. It's caused by a fly larva, not a worm, and it's a serious emerging threat.
  3. Heartworm comes from mosquitoes not contact with other dogs. No mosquitoes means no heartworm transmission. Skipping prevention in winter in low-risk areas doesn't make you a bad pet parent.
  4. NexGard doesn't repel ticks it kills them after they bite. Your dog can still bring ticks into your home on NexGard. It prevents disease transmission, not tick hitchhiking.
  5. Tea tree oil undiluted is toxic to pets, especially cats. Products containing it are typically heavily diluted, but that doesn't mean tea tree oil itself is safe to use at home without care.
  6. Fleas lead to tapeworms. If your pet hunts or catches small animals, tapeworm exposure is likely. You'll recognize them as rice-like segments in their stool.
  7. Mites come in two types — contagious (sarcoptic mange) and the kind dogs already carry in their skin (demodex). 
  8. Lice are species-specific and intensely itchy.
  9. The Creepy Crawlers course at boulderholisticvet.com covers all of this in depth. 
  10. Even holistic vets on the coasts are recommending pharmaceuticals for flea and tick prevention where natural options simply can't keep up with year-round bug pressure.
  11. Bravecto's one-year injectable — Dr. Angie's position is wait-and-see. Useful in high-tick regions, but she won't use it in Boulder where tick season is short.
More Episodes

Sound Bites

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    Children count: 6

  • Essential oils are always a little risky with cats. I'm not a huge fan of them for cats.  — Dr. Angie

  • I am neurotypical and very type A and I can still forget heartworm prevention.       — JoJo

  • This is the number one reason people visit our website according to our Google Analytics — to find out how to holistically prevent parasites. — JoJo

  • 20 years ago when I first started practicing in the front range, I hardly ever saw any bugs, ever. And now I see more because global warming. — Dr. Angie

  • This is why we should fund science. Just gonna say that. — Dr. Angie

  • You're going to know if your pet has tapeworms, most likely. It looks like little rice in their stool. That moves. — JoJo

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